L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Aug 2, 2015

Theme: ALL SQUARE. In the words of those two great American philosophers, Huey Lewis and Sponge Bob, It's Hip To Be SQUARE.

You had to be pretty sharp to get hip to the theme that the eight long horizontal fills were all SQUARE in shape! C.C. is very interested in how many will suss out the theme with no reveal. Couple that with her usual clever cluing and you have a wonderful Sunday adventure! Now let's get SQUARED up and see where we finish.

93. Soup toss-ins : SALTINE CRACKERS - These washed down with tea were mom's cure for upset tummies. These are 2" x 2"

110. Audiophile's collectible : ALBUM COVER - I wore this record out when I was a ute. 12" x 12"

113. Place to find a mate? : CHESS BOARD - Professional tournament boards are 18" x 18". Can you see White's one move checkmate?

Now for the not so SQUARE fills:Across 1. Palms in your hands : PDAS - Smart phones have replaced them and lots of other devices!

5. Used Google Wallet, say: PAID - Having paid, you are now SQUARE9. Washington or Ford : ACTOR - Denzell and Harrison e.g.14. __ shot : SLAP - The start of one

18. Event before a closing : SALE - I know a store that had a closing SALE for two years19. Bug : ANNOY21. Milan-based fashion house : PRADA - What the devil wears22. Duel measure : PACE - Hamilton and Burr were back to back, strode ten PACES, turned and shot. Hamilton got second place

27. Toe preceder? : TAC - I had to let TIP go. In War Games, the computer had to learn that some games have no winners, including Tic TAC Toe and Global Thermonuclear Warfare

87. Med. checkup initials : LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein - Bad cholesterol88. N.Y school overlooking the Hudson : RPI - The fightin' Redhawks of Rennsellaer Polytechnic Institute89. Expanse : STRETCH - We once drove the STRETCH from Cheyenne to Yellowstone. Not much to see.91. Downward movements : SAGS - The less said the better92. Award named for a Muse : CLIO - For excellence in advertising, design and communication

96. Invitee : GUEST - Even anon's are welcome GUESTS here and add to the mix even when snarky or rude97. Pink label : RCA - We don't have any of her music. Do you?

98. Cockamamie : INANE99. Lover of balance and harmony, so they say : LIBRA100. Like TV's "Wayward Pines" : EERIE103. Swabbie : GOB - American sailor. Origin unknown105. Where most people get into hot water : BATHTUB108. __-K : PRE115. Puffed-up : VAIN - In your You're So Vain, Carly has claimed she is is talking about a composite of three men116. Track bet : PLACE - If you bet $2.00 for American Pharoah to PLACE (come in second) in the Belmont Stakes, you won $2.80117. Unit of purity : KARAT - 18K gold is 18/24 or 75% gold and 25% other metals to make it more durable118. Move with a mouse : DRAG119. "Anything __?" : ELSE - "Will that complete your order?" is now McDonald's version120. Its mascot uses fowl language : AFLAC - Ubiquitous insurance duck121. Seasoned salts : TARS - Some more GOBS122. Blue-bottled vodka : SKYYDown1. "Over here!" : PSST2. Records concern : DATA BREACH - In 2014, Target and these

6. Actress Paquin : ANNA - Once again, no clue but perps to the rescue7. How some games are won, briefly : IN OT - Overtime 8. Spoils : DOTES ON - What? You think we're spoiling our kitty?9. SFPD alert : APB - All Points Bulletin.10. Midriff-revealing wear : CROP TOP - A public service to those of you who didn't know what one was...

11. Airport arrival : TAXI - How a pilot gets to the gate at SFO or a passenger can get to SFO on the road12. Asgard head : ODIN - Asgard is one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology13. Tried to win, with "for" : RAN - Lifelong Minnesotan Harold Stassen RAN for president 10 times between 1940 and 200014. Quick squirt : SPRITZ

15. Set, as a trap : LAID - The best LAID plans of men and mice...16. Troubling spots : ACNE - Ah, one of the many vagaries of my ute17. Spots for coats : PEGS20. First Literature Nobelist from Ireland : YEATS - William Butler YEATS24. German city, to Germans : KOLN - Not Cologne 26. Tiler's need : GROUT29. City SSE of Santa Fe : ROSWELL - Home of the International UFO Museum

33. Tablet holder : LAP35. "__ man should have money in his head, but not in his heart": Swift : A WISE36. Eggs on : SPURS - I don't know if American Pharoah's jockey used spurs but he used his whip 32 times in the home stretch at the Kentucky Derby37. Goody two shoes : PRISS38. One taking a selfie : CELL - Now you can use a selfie stick

39. Casino chip collector : RAKE - They RAKE in a lot more than they push out!40. Software instruction file : READ ME - I don't41. __ Tracey, one of the original Mouseketeers : DOREEN - She wasn't Annette but still...42. Rumble in the Jungle setting : ZAIRE - They used the 25 Across SQUARE43. Lenya of "From Russia With Love" : LOTTE - My LOTTE LENYA is a name in Mack The Knife44. Tolkien tree giants : ENTS 46. Ownership consequences, often : DEBTS51. Carnival city : RIO - Probably won't find a 37 D PRISS in their parade (finally found a picture modest enough to display)

106. Vindictive goddess : HERA107. Onetime Russian monarch : TSAR - 1917 was their swan song109. Liable to snap : EDGY111. Nos. expert : CPA - Only they speak fluent IRS112. __ hall : REC114. Pigs out (on), for short : ODS - Get those Fritos out of sight!Like Teddy Roosevelt in the early 20th century, C.C. has given us a SQUARE DEAL on this enjoyable Sunday exercise. Was anyone else surprised she didn't include a certain SQUARE that is 90' x 90' with rectangles at three corners and a pentagon at the fourth? I'll bet she gave it some thought.